Trauma-Informed Photography
Photos by Devon Dadoly Photography
Content Warning: mentions of addiction and alcoholism
There was a period of time that I didn’t pay attention to my body, and let addiction and alcoholism run its course over me. With that, my body grew larger, softer, and slower without me even noticing. I never quite felt like I belonged in, was one with, or even knew how to control my body. I spent so much time looking to escape, that making a connection with myself became my last priority. But once I got sober, and dove deeper into my recovery, I started photographing my fat body in the way that smaller folks photographed theirs- unclothed and deserving, confident and accepted. The more I shared these self portraits, the more power I felt, and eventually, others wanted me to photograph their bodies too. Maybe it was because I was fat, maybe it's because I was outspoken about my recovery, or maybe it was something else, but people trusted me to facilitate this experience. After photographing bodies for a few years, I had found a niche community - many of my clients were in recovery from sexual trauma, eating disorders, addiction, or mental illness.
It’s important for me to communicate with my clients that I'm not a medical professional or a mental health care provider. I am not certified by any institution to give mental health care or medical advice. However, my job does require similar expectations of me by my clients - my undivided attention in the face of their vulnerability, and a level of intimacy that doesn't happen often between two strangers. I knew that if I wanted clients to be able to trust me me at their most vulnerable, and sometimes, in various stages of undress, I had to be solid in providing a standard of care that could support these folks during their time in my studio. This standard of care was something that I was already implementing but didn't understand yet: Trauma-Informed Photography.
The intent of working with a trauma-informed lens is not to heal, change, or “fix” my clients, but to reduce the probability of re-traumatization. Being photographed is a vulnerable experience, no matter the person’s background, and because trauma manifests differently for each individual, it can be difficult to spot. My job is to be as prepared as possible by tuning into the principles of Trauma-Informed Care and applying it to my work.
My studio's commitment to being a safer space for all bodies comes with the responsibility to implement principles of Trauma-Informed Care and develop a paradigm surrounding these principles. Trauma-Informed Photography spaces exist when communication between the photographer and the client is thorough and leaves little room for misunderstanding. My personal paradigm stems from SAMHSA's Six Key Principles of Trauma Informed Care (Safety, Trustworthiness + Transparency, Peer Support, Collaboration + Mutuality, Empowerment, Voice + Choice, and Cultural, Historical + Gender Issues) and reflects the idea that a Trauma-Informed Paradigm cannot exist unless all of the principles of Trauma-Informed Care are being used. Each of these principles can work together and individually. For that reason, some examples may appear more than once below.
Here are some ways that the SAMHSA's Six Key Principles of Trauma Informed Care can be applied to photographic and creative work:
Safety
Working to create an environment of physical and emotional safety
Legal compliance and regulations
Consistently practicing harm reduction
Focusing on Impact over Intention
Trustworthiness + Transparency
Practicing Consent
Consistency
Knowing what to expect
Maintaining clear and appropriate boundaries
Regularly communicating my next move during the session
Peer Support
Using encouraging and affirming language
Acceptance, understanding, and validation
Sharing your own lived experience and practical guidance
Encouraging clients to: develop personal goals, create strategies for self-empowerment, + take concrete steps towards building fulfilling, self-determined lives
Collaboration + Mutuality
Removing hierarchy
Working together
Requesting input
Providing the client with opportunities to give feedback
Empowerment, Voice, and Choice
Strengths-based
Client has control over their own autonomy
Prioritizing building skills that promote "wholeness", stability, and growth
Client is the expert of their own experience
Giving the client power to voice any issues or desires they have during the session
Cultural, Historic, and Gender Issues
Cultural, historical & gender accountability (Competency/Humility)
Using and intersectional approach
Dedication to loving self-evaluation
Consistently acknowledge shortcomings and privileges relating to your lived experience and use it as a motivator for your education.
Educate yourself on issues surrounding cultural, historical and gender issues, especially as they relate to the communities we desire to serve.
Please keep in mind that these lists are not exhaustive, and should be used merely as inspiration to nourish and grow individual paradigms. Each person’s paradigm will look different depending on their personal values, social location, access to spaces, equipment, and the needs of the audience they are serving.
For the last few years, I’ve been developing and facilitating workshops and curriculum for other photographers who want to learn more about Trauma-Informed Photography. Join my email list, follow me on Instagram and follow my Eventbrite page for updates on upcoming workshops.
PLEASE NOTE: My blog posts are written from my personal experience as a boudoir photographer who uses Therapeutic Photography techniques and Trauma-Informed Photography methods in my work. My methods and opinions may expand and change overtime. I am not a mental health or medical professional, nor am I a licensed counselor. I am not certified by any institution or organization to give medical and mental health advice.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Devon Dadoly (she/they) is a therapeutic photographer and multidisciplinary artist who specializes in body affirming intimate boudoir and portrait photography. Devon is an outspoken advocate for the fat acceptance movement, destigmatizing addiction, and uses a trauma-informed approach when working with clients. They have over 10 years of experience working with and photographing folks in recovery from addiction, sexual trauma and eating disorders.
